Physics Olympics, bridge-building contest at KCC on Saturday

Participants at the 2010 Physics Olympics on the UH M&#257;noa campus.

Perhaps the winner of a bridge-building contest today may be the physicist of tomorrow. That’s what local high school students may be hoping, as the 22nd annual Hawai‘i Physics Olympics & Regional Bridge-Building Contest is held on Saturday, February 19, from 8:30-11:00 a.m. at Kapiolani Community College.

About 120 high school students, in 25 teams from public and private schools on O‘ahu, will challenge each other in five fun events based on concepts in physics, plus an optional bridge-building contest. Testing of bridges will take place in the cafeteria throughout the morning. At 11 a.m., there will be a presentation by Dr. G. Wiz in the auditorium, followed by the awards ceremony.

Participating high schools are Farrington, Kamehameha, McKinley, Radford, Roosevelt and Sacred Hearts. The events will be designed and led by students from UH Mānoa, Kapi‘olani Community College, Leeward Community College, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i and Chaminade University.

The public is invited to view the events, but space is limited and seating may not be available for spectators. For more information, contact Maria Bautista in the KCC Math and Sciences Department at 734-9356 or Michael Jones in the UH Mānoa Physics & Astronomy Department at 956-2932.

This year’s event is dedicated to the memory of Walter Steiger, a pioneer in physics and astronomy in Hawai‘i and a longtime University science educator.

The event is sponsored by the Hawai‘i chapter of the American Association of Physics Teachers, the KCC Engineering Club and UH Mānoa chapter of the Society of Physics Students.